Getting ready for a group night ride

Friday will see me attend another group night ride. It won't be to the coast but it will I am sure prove to be a wonderful adventure. 

I have taken my Titanium Orange Brompton with me on quite a few of my recent adventures and decided to take off the Supernova front and rear dynamo lights and the dynamo hub wheel in favour of the superlight wheel the bike came with. In addition I put back on my old Brompfication hinge clamps - more as they make folding and unfolding quicker. 

Believe me, the bike does not run any better and I have never been one of those cyclists too conscious of weight, it is just taking the bike back to its original roots. What I think I will be doing is to put the Supernova lights on my Orange, Black Special Edition. That will work rather well. 

I haven't decided which Brompton to take yet but if I can fit the Supernova light in good time and give them a little test run around the block, I will probably take my Orange, Black Special Edition. 

So, apart from getting the lights charged, oiling the chain and checking the tyre pressures, I should be good to go. 

Stay safe out there people!!

You want me to do what?

I have always said that this blog is pretty much an online dairy for myself. That is all I have ever wanted for it and as far as I am concerned, it has worked well. Over  the years I have build up a loyal following and occasionally - when I can be bothered to do it - several rather lovely people have sent me the odd cycling or Brompton related item to write about on here. Over the weekend, I received a rather strange request that when I questioned, got even stranger. 

It seems that a fairly new Brompton user has not only bought the bike they have set up their own  video channel. What they wanted me to do, was to take their Brompton (as it isn't Orange but black) and use it for one of my night rides to the coast. The reason why they could not do this themselves is that they have only ever cycled up to 12 miles and didn't have the time to ride through the night. 

Just to be clear I corresponded with this person to find out more - more in disbelief than anything else - and they wanted me take some photos of their bike at various parts of the ride and also video. For this they would let me borrow their GoPro. They then wanted me to hand over the photos and their GoPro so that they could use it for a video, claiming they had done the ride themselves. Oh, and I was not to tell anyone, so as not to give the game away.  Can you guess my reply?

Stay safe out there people!!

No! You can’t have a go on my Brompton!

I think I have been in this territory before but in the past couple of weeks a few people - please mentally prepare yourselves - have asked if they could have a go on my Brompton! Can you imagine!?

Believe me when I tell you that I sing the praises of all things Brompton pretty much whenever the needs arises. I do however draw the line somewhere! 

My first encounter was a middle aged gentleman on Mortlake High Street who told me he was toying with the idea of getting one. He hinted heavily that he would like a go to see if he liked it…on my bike. Needless to say he was left disappointed and possibly broken on several levels. 

The second was worse! This person was an existing Brompton user, on their own Brompton and spying I had my Orange Titanium with me. He was more obvious that my first encounter and asked outright whether he could ‘have a spin to see what the fuss is about?’ Needless to say, he was left disappointed! 

So, if you ever see me, please say hello (many of you in London do) but don’t ask if you can have a go on my Brompton…ever!!

Stay safe out there people!!